Release Radar: Our pick of the week's best TV, movies, and games (May 11-17)
The best games, movies, and shows of the next seven days
1. Translocate and tear it up with the latest Apex Legends character, Loba, in Season 5
Apex Legends Season 5 starts this week, and with it comes a brand new Legend named Loba Andrade. We've technically already seen Loba in last season's trailer that featured Revenant killing her parents when she was a young girl - but now she's all grown up and looking to avenge their deaths. As a thief who uses translocating technology to help break into places, it looks like Loba's abilities are going to seriously shake up the Apex Legends meta - and post-shakeup is always an exciting time to jump into the game.
The fifth season of Apex Legends will also bring an altered version of Kings Canyon, and will introduce Season Quests for the first time ever. Details are sparse, but we do know you'll have to hunt for treasure and will be rewarded handsomely for your efforts in both items and Apex Legends lore. It's gonna be a good one, guys, so get ready to drop in.
What: Apex Legends season 5
Where: Xbox One, PS4, PC
When: May 12
2. Kimmy vs. The Reverend is an interactive Kimmy Schmidt epilogue poised to best Bandersnatch
Bandersnatch was great and all, but it didn’t have Titus Andromedon, did it? Kimmy Schmidt is back for a finale that aims to finally wrap up her feud with The Reverend (Jon Hamm) – while also introducing an interactive element that lets you select what Kimmy and the gang do next.
Much like the Black Mirror movie’s own weaving story that branches off in all manner of directions depending on what you decide happens next, Kimmy vs. The Reverend gives viewers the opportunity to take control of Kimmy’s actions. They range from snogging the face off of Daniel Radcliffe to… waiting at the side of the road and dying. It’s all tied together with a story that sees Kimmy in search of another bunker, all while dealing with the myriad stresses that come with her impending wedding day. It’s shaping up to to be a fitting conclusion for the Netflix comedy, as well as a peek at what comes next for the format, one that promised so much in 2018 but ultimately stalled.
What: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend
Where: Netflix
When: May 12
3. Star Wars Episode 1: Racer speeds onto Switch
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace gave us midichlorians, Jar-Jar Binks, and some CGI battles that have not aged particularly well. All that can be forgiven, because it also gave us Star Wars Episode 1: Racer. And we'll be able to go podracing whenever and wherever we want when Episode 1: Racer arrives on Nintendo Switch on May 12. Developer Aspyr Media is remastering the beloved 1999 pod racing game with modernized controls and crisp visuals, and it's even upscaling the old CGI cutscenes so you can appreciate all those pre-millennial effects without the pixelation. A late-breaking delay means we'll have to wait until May 26, but the Switch version is still on track.
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What: Star Wars Episode 1: Racer
Where: Nintendo Switch
When: May 12
4. Will Catherine the Great be our new Favourite?
The Great is a look at the life of Catherine the Great, empress of Russia, but one created by the screenwriter behind dark period comedy The Favourite. Elle Fanning plays Catherine with Nicholas Hoult as her husband Peter III of Russia, who was known - among other things - for his drinking and practical jokes. Don't expect dry historical facts and figures in this version of the 18th-century Russian court, more witty one-liners, and plenty of black comedy. Even better if anyone asks what you've been doing in lockdown, you can say you've started studying Russian history.
What: The Great
Where: Hulu
When: May 15
5. Snowpiercer brings even more claustrophobic dystopia to your living room on May 17
Inspired by both the Bong-Joon Ho movie of the same name and the original graphic novel, Le Transperceneige, Snowpiercer explores class conflict and climate injustice from the confines of an overpopulated bullet train riding ceaselessly choo choo-ing across the frozen remains of planet Earth. Though this TV adaption has been beset by almost as many delays and production troubles as its cinematic counterpart, the show is finally arriving on TNT this month, promising ten episodes of apocalyptic locomotion. There's no Chris Evans or Tilda Swinton to keep us gawking at the screen on star power alone, but perhaps the extended airtime will allow this particular adaptation to properly delve into all the subtext of its source material.
What: Snowpiercer season 1
Where: TNT
When: May 17
Rachel Weber is the former US Managing Editor of 12DOVE and lives in Brooklyn, New York. She joined 12DOVE in 2017, revitalizing the news coverage and building new processes and strategies for the US team.